Impactful Programs
Deploying programs to help existing or aspiring entrepreneurs succeed
Smart programming that supports entrepreneurship and innovation right here in Northwest Arkansas
Our programs build on no-cost one-on-one consulting: cohort accelerators, 0% interest loans, SBA innovation clusters and a weekly community of peers that give new and growing entrepreneurs the resources, capital and experience they need to thrive.
Programs across Startup Junkie
Fuel Accelerator
A 10-week, no-cost, no-equity accelerator that pairs growth-stage tech startups with Arkansas enterprise partners for pilots and commercial contracts. Fuel runs annual AI/ML and HealthTech cohorts, and its companies have raised $284M+ since 2018.
Kiva NWA
0% interest, community-backed microloans for entrepreneurs overlooked by traditional lenders. Since 2019, Kiva NWA has deployed more than $2 million across roughly 200 loans, matched by the Walton Family Foundation. Character over credit.
UpStart Thrift Store
UpStart Thrift Store, located at 235 Main St, Farmington, Arkansas, is run by an all-volunteer team and resells donated clothes and home goods at affordable prices to the community.
The Startup Junkies Podcast
Founders, investors and innovators from Northwest Arkansas and around the world, every week. Hundreds of conversations on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
Fayetteville Business Starter Kit
Built with the City of Fayetteville, a free webinar series and library of plain-language guides covering licensing, permitting, zoning and the other mechanics of opening a business in Fayetteville.
1 Million Cups – Bentonville
A free weekly gathering where Bentonville entrepreneurs present their ideas over coffee and find inspiration in each other’s stories.
Lithium Regional Innovation Cluster – LRIC
An SBA Regional Innovation Cluster accelerating energy innovation and the EV transition by strengthening the lithium value chain, rooted in the Smackover Formation, one of the largest lithium deposits in the world.
Ozark Regional Innovation Cluster – ORIC
An SBA-funded Regional Innovation Cluster for transportation, logistics and supply-chain technology. Ozark-region small businesses building or adopting that technology get no-cost one-on-one support, expert and industry connections, and monthly sessions.
ARise
A statewide initiative that helps Arkansas entrepreneurs and small businesses move from idea validation to expansion with targeted advising, technical assistance, programming and pathways to capital, delivered with local and regional partners.
75 Strong
A community-driven initiative strengthening Arkansas’s rural and underrepresented entrepreneurial ecosystems through workshops, one-on-one support and local partnerships, so overlooked communities can build sustainable businesses.
These programs are made possible by the support of our funding partners
We are so grateful for the Walton Family Foundation, the EDA, the SBA, the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, and other organizations that support our vision of improving lives through entrepreneurship.
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